January 6 –Ken Griffey Jr. andMike Piazza areelected to theHall of Fame by theBaseball Writers' Association of America. In his first year on the ballot, Griffey receives a record 99.3 percent of the vote, being named on all but three of the 440 ballots, to surpass the 98.84 percentTom Seaver received in1992. Piazza, in his fourth year on the ballot, receives 83.0 percent of the votes, up from the 69.9 percent he received in2015. Griffey becomes the first player drafted #1 overall (1987) to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Piazza becomes the lowest draftee to be inducted, having been selected in the 62nd round, 1390th overall (1988).[67] A player needs 75 percent to gain election. This time, the vote total dropped by 109 from last year, due to the new rules writers who have not been active for 10 years lost their votes. Falling shy of enshrinement wasJeff Bagwell (71.6%). The other players to be named on more than half the 440 ballots wereTim Raines (69.8%),Trevor Hoffman (67.3%) andCurt Schilling (52.3%).[68]
February 12 – Relief pitcherJenrry Mejía of the New York Mets is permanently banned from Major League Baseball for a third failed drug test. Mejía had received an 80-game suspension in April,2015 after testing positive for use ofstanozolol. On July 28, three weeks after serving the suspension, he failed a test for stanozolol again as well asboldenone, and was suspended for 162 games. Mejía is allowed to apply for reinstatement after one year of the ban, but must be out of Major League Baseball for a minimum of two years if he is to be reinstated.[69]
March 15 – TheUnited States Department of the Treasury announced that American employers would be allowed to hire Cuban citizens to work in the United States. This announcement theoretically means that Major League Baseball teams would be able to signCuban baseball players directly instead of requiring them todefect from Cuba and establish residence in another country before signing.[70]
April 5 – AtPetco Park, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the San Diego Padres 15–0 in the most lopsided shutout on Opening Day. According toSTATS, the previous record was thePittsburgh Pirates' 14–0 victory over theCincinnati Reds in1911. The game also marks the managerial debut of the Dodgers'Dave Roberts, a former Dodger and Padre player and San Diego coach for the previous five seasons, as well asAndy Green guiding the Padres, resulting in the first Opening Day meeting of two rookie managers since Florida'sFredi González and Washington'sManny Acta in2007.[71]
April 8 :
AtCoors Field, rookieTrevor Story of the Colorado Rockies becomes the fifth player in Major League history to hit home runs in each of his team's first four games of a season. He hits two home runs, his fifth and sixth of the season, in the Rockies' 13–6 loss to the San Diego Padres, off starterColin Rea in the fourth inning and relieverRyan Buchter in the ninth. Story, who had already made history by becoming the first player to hit two home runs in his Major League debut in an Opening Day game, and hit three in each of his first three Major League games, joinsWillie Mays (1971),Mark McGwire (1998),Nelson Cruz (2011) andChris Davis (2013) as players who have homered in each of their team's first four games of a season. He also breaks the record of five home runs in his team's first four games, held jointly byLou Brock in1967 andBarry Bonds in2002.[72]
April 21 – AtGreat American Ball Park,Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubsno-hits the Cincinnati Reds 16–0. He walks four and strikes out six and is backed by five home runs: two byKris Bryant, including a grand slam, and one each byBen Zobrist,Anthony Rizzo and Arrieta's catcher,David Ross. Arrieta, who no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 30,2015, joinsKen Holtzman as the only Cubs pitchers to throw multiple no-hitters in modern history. The Arrieta no-hitter is also the first against the Reds in regular season play since the Philadelphia Phillies'Rick Wise on June 23,1971, thoughRoy Halladay had no-hit them during the2010 National League Division Series. It also sets a modern-day record for most lopsided score in a no-hitter, topping the 15–0 score inFrank Smith's no-hitter on September 6,1905. Previously,Pud Galvin had pitched an 18–0 no-hitter on August 4,1884.[74]
August 26 –Andrew McCutchen hit three home runs for the second time of his career to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 9–4 victory over the Colorado Rockies atPetco Park. As a result, McCutchen is only the fourth player in Pirates history with a pair of three-homer games, being the others Hall of FamersRalph Kiner,Roberto Clemente andWillie Stargell.[75]
April 29 – AtChase Field, Colorado Rockies shortstopTrevor Story hit his 10th home run of the season, tying the Major League Baseball rookie record for most home runs in the month of April, set by Chicago White Sox sluggerJosé Abreu in 2014. Story belted a two-run shot off pitcherRobbie Ray in the fifth inning, helping the Rockies cruise to a 9–0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. In hitting his 10th home run in 21 games, Story tied Boston Red Sox first basemanGeorge Scott in 1966 as the fastest player in major league history to reach that home run total.[76]
May 6 –David Ortiz hit a two-run home run offMichael Pineda in the first inning for a 2–0 Boston Red Sox lead over the New York Yankees that was a milestone blast. It was home run No. 510 in Ortiz's career, moving him pastGary Sheffield and into 25th place on the all-time list. It was also the No. 452 home run for Ortiz in a Red Sox uniform, tying him with Hall of FamerCarl Yastrzemski for second in team history. Only the legendaryTed Williams has hit more homers (521) in a Boston uniform. Besides, the long ball was Ortiz's 50th all-time against the Yankees, placing him sixth all-time in that category, behindJimmie Foxx (70), Williams (62),Manny Ramírez (55),Hank Greenberg (53) and Yastrzemski (52). But it was not enough to propel Boston to a victory, asRick Porcello gave up a home run to Yankees outfielderAaron Hicks in the bottom of the seventh that snapped a 2–2 tie and sent the Sox to a 3–2 defeat atYankee Stadium. Next up on the career home run list for Ortiz is formerNew York Giants greatMel Ott, who ranks 24th with 511 homers.[77][78]
May 7 –Bartolo Colón hit his first Major League career home run atPetco Park, a two-run shot off the San Diego Padres'James Shields.[79] It took Colón until the age of 42 to achieve the long-ball feat, which traveled 365 feet, making him the oldest player in major league history to finally break through with a home run, according to theElias Sports Bureau.[80] Previously, 40-year-oldRandy Johnson belted his first homer in Milwaukee onSeptember 19, 2003. At 42 years, 349 days, Colón also became the second-oldest New York Mets player to hit a homer.Julio Franco homered for the Mets onMay 4, 2007, when he was 48 years, 254 days old. Furthermore, Colón pitched6+2⁄3 solid innings of three-run, six hits ball and struck out six in the 6–3 victory against San Diego.[79]
May 11 – AtNationals Park,Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals ties a nine-inning Major League record by striking out 20 Detroit Tigers in the Nationals' 3–2 victory. After striking outJustin Upton for the second out of the ninth inning, Scherzer, who had pitched for the Tigers from 2010 to 2014, comes within one strikeout of tying the all-time record set byTom Cheney in 1962 (Cheney, while with the Washington Senators, struck out 21 Baltimore Orioles in 16 innings). However,James McCann, who had already struck out three times, grounds out for the final out. Scherzer ties the nine inning record shared byRoger Clemens (twice, in 1986 and 1996),Kerry Wood (1998) andRandy Johnson (2001, in a game that lasted 11 innings).[81]
May 15 - The Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers game devolves into chaos in the top of the eighth inning. First, Rangers pitcher Matt Bush throws a beanball at Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista (presumably as retribution for Bautista's bat flip in the previous season's American League Division Series). Bautista then slid hard into second baseman Rougned Odor in an attempt to break up a double play, which triggered a fight where Odor managed to punch Bautista squarely in the jaw. Both players, plus Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson and a coach, were promptly ejected from the game. They were quickly joined by Blue Jays pitcher Jesse Chavez and coach DeMarlo Hale in the bottom of the eighth when Chavez hit Rangers player Prince Fielder with a pitch.
May 17 – Off to one of the worst starts in their history, the Atlanta Braves dismissed managerFredi González. The Braves dropped to an MLB-worst 9–28 record after an 8–5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.Brian Snitker, manager of Atlanta's Triple-AGwinnett Braves, replaced González as the team interim manager through the end of the season. González was at the helm from 2011 and compiled an overall record of 434–413 during his tenure as Atlanta's skipper. He remained a loyal contributor as his rosters were weakened by the massive rebuild the Braves began last year, as they fell shy of expectations in 2014 and have not posted an average of .500 since. The Braves also dismissed bench coachCarlos Tosca, who had served in that capacity for González dating back to their time together with the Florida Marlins from 2007 to 2010.Terry Pendleton became the bench coach, while his previous duties as first-base coach were filled byEddie Pérez.[82]
May 20- It is announced that the 2019 season will be theTexas Rangers last season atGlobe Life Park withGlobe Life Field scheduled to open in time for the 2020 season. The Rangers have cited heat as the reason for low attendance at Globe Life Park.
May 28 - In the third inning of the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard is ejected for attempting to throw a beanball at Dodgers infielder Chase Utley (presumably as retribution for Utley's slide into Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada in Game 2 of the previous year's National League Division Series). Umpire Tom Hallion then got into an argument with Mets manager Terry Collins, which a fan recorded and would leak to the public. The video of the argument went viral, in particular the part where Hallion said "our ass is in the jackpot" in trying to explain the reasoning for Syndergaard's ejection.
May 31 – Boston Red Sox right fielderMookie Betts belted three home runs, one to each field, and drove in five runs in a 6–2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles atCamden Yards. Betts opened the game with a home run to center field, added a three-run shot in the second inning over the fence down the left-field line, and a solo homer to right field in the seventh for his first three-homer career game. Betts also impressed in the field with a dazzling diving catch in right-center field, robbingPaul Janish of an extra-base hit in the seventh. In addition, Betts became the first Red Soxleadoff hitter to go deep three times in one game, according to research byElias Sports Bureau.[83]
June 2 – AtPetco Park, the Seattle Mariners set a franchise record by erasing a 10-run deficit to defeat the San Diego Padres, 16–13. Trailing 12–2 after five innings, the Mariners score five runs in the sixth, then nine in the seventh, recording seven straight singles with two out in the latter inning. Their previous comeback record was an eight-run deficit, which they overcame to defeat the Anaheim Angels 11–10 on April 15,1996.[84]
June 15 – AtPetco Park,Ichiro Suzuki of the Miami Marlins collects two hits to give him 4,257 in his career combined in theNippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball, surpassingPete Rose who is the all-time MLB leader with 4,256 hits. After beating out an infield single in the first inning of the Marlins' 6–3 loss to the San Diego Padres, Suzuki doubles in the ninth inning for the record-breaking hit. The two hits give Suzuki 2,979 in his Major League career; he had collected 1,278 while in Japan'sPacific League.[85]
June 27 –Kris Bryant hit three home runs with two doubles and drove in six runs, leading the Chicago Cubs to an 11–8 victory over the Cincinnati Reds atGreat American Ball Park. Bryant became the first player in MLB history to hit three homers and two doubles in a single game, as his 16total bases also were a Chicago Cubs record, breaking the previous team's mark of 14 shared byErnie Banks (1962),George Mitterwald (1974) andAramis Ramírez (2004). Cubs starterJake Arrieta gave up five runs and five walks in five innings but still was credited with the win.[87]
Carlos Carrasco struck out a season-high 14, whileJason Kipnis andRajai Davis hit solo home runs, and the Cleveland Indians matched a franchise record by winning their 13th consecutive game of the season, beating the Toronto Blue Jays, 4–1, atRogers Centre.[90] The 13-win streak is the longest by any MLB team in the season, as well as the longest for the Indians since they won 13 straight in August 1951.[91] Cleveland had also won 13 in a row between April and May 1942.[92]
July 1 – Major League Baseball imposed unprecedented penalties on the Boston Red Sox organization for rules violations relating to their acquisition of several international amateur free agents for the 2016–17 period. Boston was limited last year to spending a maximum of $300,000 on international amateur talent after exceeding its spending limit near the end of the 2014–15 signing period by spending $62 million on Cuban prospectYoan Moncada. Furthermore, Boston circumvented that limitation bypackaging more premium prospects with lesser prospects, paying $300K for multiple prospects that employed the same trainers/agents and then allowing the players' representatives to divide the share of the collective sums to the top five prospect of thepackage, with the lesser prospects receiving a smaller portion of the money during the 2015–16 period. The five players declared free agents were pitcher César González, outfielder Albert Guaimaro, catcher Simon Muzziotti, and infielders Antonio Piñero and Eduardo Torrealba. As a result, they became free agents and were free to sign with other clubs, though each player will retain the initial bonus money he received from Boston. In addition, they will be required to hire new agents before they sign. As for the Red Sox, they will still be able to sign pool-exempt international players, but such players will be the only types of free agents able to be signed to contracts until next July 2, when the 2017–18 international signing period begins.[93]
July 2 – The Cleveland Indians ended their franchise-record winning streak at 14 games with a 9–6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays atRogers Centre.[94] Cleveland suffered its first loss since June 15 to the Kansas City Royals.[95] Along the way, the Indians swept the Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves three times a piece, before taking the first two games from Toronto.[95] The 14-game winning streak of the Indians was the longest in the American League since the Oakland Athleticswon 20 consecutive games during the 2002 season.Josh Donaldson hit a go-ahead RBI single, as part of a three-run rally by Toronto in the bottom of the eight inning.[94]Rajai Davis, who became the eighth Indians player tohit for the cycle, was also only thesixth player in MLB history to accomplish the feat in reverse fashion (home run first, then triple, double and single).[96]
July 3 – Major League Baseball celebrates military appreciation day by staging a regular season game atFort Bragg,North Carolina, the largest military base in the United States with more than50,000 active duty personnel. The Florida Marlins defeat the Atlanta Braves, 5–2,[97] in a temporary 12,500 seat ballpark with no paid admission, as all spectators are active servicemen and servicewomen and their families. It is the first professional contest of any sport to be played on an active U.S. military installation.[98] Construction on the field began four months before the game, even though the ballpark will be torn down starting in a few days. Seating will be removed, but the playing surface, along with thefoul poles,dugouts andbullpens will remain, because there are plans to convert the site into softball and multipurpose recreational facilities for use of those on the base.[98]
July 6 –David Ortiz hit his 20th home run of the season, a two-run shot off Texas Rangers pitcherMartín Pérez in an 11–6 Boston Red Sox win atFenway Park. It was his 523rd career homer, which also joined him withBabe Ruth,Hank Aaron,Willie Mays,Barry Bonds andAlex Rodríguez, as the only players in MLB history to hit at least 20 homers in 15 straight seasons or more. Ortiz has hit over 20 home runs in each of his 14 seasons for the Red Sox and belted exactly 20 in his final year with theMinnesota Twins in 2002.[99]
July 10 – In theAll-Star Futures Game, Boston Red Sox prospectYoan Moncada delivered an upper-deck, two-run home run off Arizona Diamondbacks prospectAnthony Banda, to give the World team 4–3 lead over the U.S. team in the eighth inning.[100] After taking the lead, the World team scored seven more runs in the ninth to turn a close game into an 11–3 blowout atPetco Park. The 21-year-old Cuban Moncada, who earlier had singled, stolen a base and made a sharp defensive play, earnedMVP honors in the Game, as the World team was able to end asix-game losing streak.[101]
July 12 – The American League defeated the National League, 4–2, in the87th All-Star Game played atPetco Park in San Diego, California. In the second inning,Eric Hosmer hit a solo home run andSalvador Pérez belted a two-run homer against their former Kansas City Royals teammateJohnny Cueto. Hosmer added an RBI-single in the third to earn MVP honors.[102]
July 18 – The Minnesota Twins relievedTerry Ryan of his duties as the team's executive vice president andgeneral manager, ending an association that lasted 44 years. The Twins entered the day with a 33–58 record, 21 games out of first place in the AL Central Division. Only the Atlanta Braves (32–60) has registered a worse record in the majors. Ryan, who joined the organization as a player in 1972, formed part of the Twins front office since 1986, serving as their general manager from 1994 through 2007, and again served in this capacity from 2011 until his dismissal. Assistant GMRob Antony will replace Ryan on an interim basis.[103]
July 20 –Hanley Ramírez belted three two-run home runs, in the Boston Red Sox 11–7interleague play victory against the San Francisco Giants atFenway Park. Ramirez hit his first two shots in the second and third innings as the Red Sox built an 8–0 lead. The Giants answered with seven straight runs in the next two innings, and cut Boston's lead to 8–7. After that, Ramírez made a crucial defensive play starting a double play in the sixth inning, when, with the bases loaded and nobody out, he fielded a grounder and got the out at first base, then threw home to force out the potential tying run. He later responded in the bottom of the sixth with his third blast as the Sox held on for the win, which completed a two-game sweep of the NL West leaders and pushed the Sox into first place in the AL East by a half-game over the Baltimore Orioles. The three homers and six RBI were career-game highs for Ramírez.[104]
July 22 –Miguel Cabrera went 4-for-4, including a go-ahead two-RBI single in the seventh inning, as the Detroit Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox, 7–5, atU.S. Cellular Field. With his decisive hit, Cabrera put himself into the annals of Major League history, making him the eight player to reach both the 400 home run and 1,500 RBI milestone in the first 14 seasons of his playing career. The others areAlex Rodríguez,Manny Ramírez,Albert Pujols,Lou Gehrig,Jimmie Foxx,Jeff Bagwell andHank Aaron, according toESPN Stats & Information.[105]
July 23 –Nelson Cruz hit his ninth career grand slam and had a three-run home run, and the Seattle Mariners matched a season high with 19 hits, in an easy 14–5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays atRogers Centre. Cruz blasted his slam offR. A. Dickey in the third inning, and hit his three-run drive againstDrew Storen in the eighth for his 20th career multi-homer game. This is the second time in Cruz's career that he has had at least two homers and seven RBI, the other coming on September 7, 2014, while playing with the Baltimore Orioles, as he has also collected two eight-RBI games.[106][107]
July 29 – The Washington Nationals pulled off a historictriple play en route to a 4–1 victory against the San Francisco Giants atAT&T Park.[108] It was the first-ever3–5 triple play in Major League Baseball history as well as the first in franchise history, according to theSABR Database.[109] The feat started in the bottom in the eighth inning, with thebases loaded, nobody out, andBrandon Crawford hit aline drive off pitcherSammy Solis. The ball was caught by first basemanRyan Zimmerman, who stepped on the base for the second out and then threw toAnthony Rendon at third base, in time to forceDenard Span for the third out.[110]
August 3 –Albert Pujols hit his 12th careerwalk-off home run, breaking a 6–6 tie and giving the Los Angeles Angels an 8–6 victory over the Oakland Athletics. His two-run homer also was his 20th career walk-off hit, which tied him withDavid Ortiz for the most of any hitter since the 2000 season and the third most since 1969 in Major League Baseball. Besides, Pujols tied withBabe Ruth,Jimmie Foxx,Mickey Mantle,Stan Musial, andFrank Robinson in second place for the most career walk-off home runs. The all-time, walk-off home run hitter isJim Thome, who hit 13 in his Major League career.[111]
August 5 – Cleveland Indians catching prospectFrancisco Mejía hit a double in the first inning in a Class-A game against theSalem Red Sox, to extend his historic hitting streak to 47 consecutive games, the longest in Minor League Baseball in 62 years. Mejía gave theLynchburg Hillcats a quick 3–0 lead, but Salem used a big surge to claim a 13–6 victory atLewis-Gale Field. The streak is also the seventh longest in Minor League Baseball history and the longest in the modern era, which began in 1963. The MiLB hit streak record is 69, set byJoe Wilhoit in 1919, whileJoe DiMaggio, whose Major League recordhit streak of 56 games is being celebrated for its 75th anniversary this season, had a 61-game Minor League hit streak in 1933, the second-longest of all time.[112]
August 7 – AtCoors Field,Ichiro Suzuki becomes the 30th member of the3,000 hit club. He collects the milestone hit, a triple offChris Rusin, in the eighth inning of the Miami Marlins' 10–7 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Suzuki, who collected 1,278 hits while inNippon Professional Baseball, becomes the second player to triple for his 3,000th Major League hit,Paul Molitor having done so in1996.[113]
August 12 :
Alex Rodriguez plays the final game of his 22-year major league career as the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 6–3. Rodriguez's final MLB hit was an RBI double in the first inning that tied the game at 1 whileStarlin Castro delivered a game-winning 2-run home run in the 6th inning to power the Yankees to victory.[114]
Hanley Ramírez hit a pair of three-run home runs andDavid Ortiz went 3-for-4 with one double and a solo homer, as the Boston Red Sox beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 9–4, in interleague play atFenway Park.[115] For his part, Ramírez recorded his 20th career multi-homer game and matched his career high with six runs batted in,[115] while Ortiz, with his home run, reached 1,000extra-base hits and became the third player – along withCarl Yastrzemski (1,157) andTed Williams (1,117) – to record 1,000 extra base hits in a Red Sox uniform.[116]
August 13 – New York Yankees prospectsTyler Austin andAaron Judge hit back-to-back home runs in their first career at bat, as the Yankees defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 8–4, at Yankee Stadium. Austin and Judge belted their homers against pitcherMatt Andriese in the second inning. It is the first time in Major League Baseball history that a pair of teammates hit consecutive home runs in their first career plate appearances.[117] The feat was accomplished once before by opponents, whenHeinie Mueller of thePhiladelphia Phillies andErnie Koy of theBrooklyn Dodgers each hit a home run in their first major league at-bats onApril 19, 1938.[118]
August 14 :
The New York Yankees honoredMariano Rivera before their series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays atYankee Stadium, officially dedicating a Monument Park plaque to the all-time saves leader and future Hall of Fame closer in a pregame ceremony. Rivera accepted his plaque and spoke at the Stadium, giving credit to the fans and everyone who helped during his 19-year career. Rivera was also joined on the field by his family, former teammatesDavid Cone,Derek Jeter,Tino Martinez,Paul O'Neill,Andy Pettitte,Jorge Posada andJohn Wetteland, as well as his former managersJoe Torre andJoe Girardi, his former pitching coach,Mel Stottlemyre, and the Yankees former trainer,Gene Monahan.[119]
Mookie Betts hit three home runs over theGreen Monster and posted a career-high eight RBI, as the Boston Red Sox crushed the Arizona Diamondbacks, 16–3, to sweep the three-game interleague series.[120]Dustin Pedroia, meanwhile, recorded his franchise-record fifth five-hit game andRick Porcello converted into the first Red Sox pitcher in 70 years to open a season 12–0 atFenway Park, sinceDave Ferriss won his first 12 decisions at Fenway in 1946.[120] Additionally, Betts became the 21st player in Major League Baseball history to hit three home runs in a single game twice in the same season.[121] He also joinedTed Williams as the only Red Sox hitters ever to accomplish the feat. Williams did it in 1957,[121] while Betts blasted three homers against the Baltimore Orioles atCamden Yardson May 31.
High Class-ALynchburg Hillcats catcherFrancisco Mejía halted his hitting streak at 50 games. A day after a controversial scoring change enabled Mejía to tie for the fourth-longest run in Minor League history,[122] the Cleveland Indians No. 3 prospect went 0-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in a 6–0 shutout over theWinston-Salem Dash (CWS) atCalvin Falwell Field. It is the longest hitting streak since the Minor Leagues reclassified in 1963, and it's the longest by any player at any level sinceRomán Mejías hit safely in 55 straight games for the Class-BWaco Pirates in 1954.Joe Wilhoit holds the record with 69 games (1919) andJoe DiMaggio is second with 61 games (1933).[123]
August 15 –Mookie Betts belted two home runs, a three-run homer in the fifth inning to put the Boston Red Sox ahead, 3–0, and a two-shot in the eighth, accounting for all five Red Sox runs in a 5–3 win over the Baltimore Orioles atCamden Yards. Sox starterEduardo Rodríguez departed with no outs in the fifth-inning of ano-hitter due to a tight left hamstring and, whileMatt Barnes carried the no-hitter into the seventh, a combination of three relievers allowed three runs in the inning to tie the game.[124]
August 19 – The Houston Astros defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 15–8, in aslugfest atCamden Yards. At the end, both teams combined for nine home runs.George Springer got things started, leading off the game with a home run off pitcherWade Miley. But the Orioles set a modern Major League record by hitting four home runs before making an out in their first turnat-bat. FacingCollin McHugh,Adam Jones hit a home run on the first pitch he saw andHyun Soo Kim delivered a single. ThenManny Machado,Chris Davis andMark Trumbo all homered in succession, for a quick 5–1 lead. Nevertheless, the Astros scored five runs in the second inning, whenJose Altuve roped a two-out, two-run double, and kept going from there to win the game. After the teams traded five-run innings, Baltimore went up 7–6 in the third and Houston pulled even in the fourth and took a 9–7 lead in the fifth.Pedro Álvarez hit a solo shot in the bottom half before Houston pulled away with three runs in the sixth, thanks to a two-run homer by Altuve and a solo shot byEvan Gattis. Houston added three more runs the rest of the way, highlighted by a homer fromTeoscar Hernández in the ninth. According toSTATS LLC, the Orioles became the first team in themodern era (since 1900) to open a game with four home runs before making an out.[125]
August 22 – Baltimore Orioles closerZach Britton ended his remarkable streak of 43 consecutive games without allowing anearned run, but was able to hold off a late ninth-inning rally by the Washington Nationals to help Baltimore edge the host Nationals 10–8. Britton gave up a single toBryce Harper and an RBI double toAnthony Rendon, but gotRyan Zimmerman to ground into a game-ending double play as the Orioles won its third game in a row against Washington.[126] It was the first earned run Britton allowed since April 30. His string of 43pitching appearances without allowing one is the longest since theearned run statistic became official, dating back more than 100 years.[127]
August 24 – Boston Red Sox designated hitterDavid Ortiz reached a new milestone in his career, while hitting a two-run,home run against Tampa Bay Rays starterMatt Andriese in the first inning of a 4–3, 11-inning loss to the Rays atTropicana Field. With the two-run blast, Ortiz recorded his 100thrun batted in of the season and became the oldest player in Major League Baseball history to hit 30 homers in a single season, having managed the feat at 40 years and 280 days old. The two RBI also allowed Ortiz to joinHank Aaron,Barry Bonds,Jimmie Foxx,Lou Gehrig,Rafael Palmeiro,Albert Pujols,Manny Ramírez,Alex Rodríguez andBabe Ruth, as the only players with 10 or more MLB seasons with at least 30 homers and 100 RBI, which is also the most in Red Sox history. As far as the aforementioned players are concerned, Ortiz joined Aaron, Gehrig, Pujols and Ruth as the only ones to do it with the same team. Ortiz, who will retire at the end of the season, is additionally the first player to achieve the 30-HR, 100-RBI feat in his last MLB season.[128][129]
August 25 – AtDodger Stadium,Matt Moore of the San Francisco Giants has ano-hitter broken up with two out in the ninth in a 4–0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. A single by the Dodgers'Corey Seager breaks up the bid, after which Moore, who records his first victory as a Giant after being traded from the Tampa Bay Rays at the trading deadline, is relieved bySantiago Casilla, who needs only one pitch to record the final out. The no-hitter would have given the Giants at least one in a record five consecutive seasons.Matt Cainhad pitched a perfect game in2012, followed byTim Lincecum's two no-hitters in the2013 and2014 seasons, andChris Heston's in2015. They had entered the season tied with the1962–1965 Los Angeles Dodgers with no-hitters pitched in four consecutive seasons;Sandy Koufax had pitched all four, the last of which washis perfect game in 1965. The Moore no-hitter also would have been the first by a Giants pitcher against the Dodgers sinceRube Marquard, of the thenNew York Giants, no-hit theBrooklyn Dodgers in1915.[130]
September 3 –Mike Trout,Albert Pujols andKole Calhoun combined for five home runs to lead the Angels to a 10–3 victory over the host Seattle Mariners, with the trio hitting consecutive shots againstTaijuan Walker in the first inning, and Calhoun and Pujols belting two homers apiece. For Pujols, it was his 587th career home run, which moved him pastFrank Robinson intoninth place on the MLB's most home runs list. He later blasted his No. 588, completing the 55 multi-homer game of his career. Next up on the career home run list for Pujols isSammy Sosa, who ranks eighth with 609 homers.[131]
September 6 – The St. Louis Cardinals hit five home runs, three of them in the ninth inning, to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates atPNC Park.Matt Carpenter connected apinch-hit, solo home run to tie the game 6–6, whileRandal Grichuk andJhonny Peralta homered later in the inning, as the Cardinals went on to win 9–7. Carpenter's pinch-hit shot gave the Cardinals a Major League record 15 pinch-hit homers in a season. The previous record of 14 pinch-hit home runs was held jointly by the San Francisco Giants and the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2001 season.Yadier Molina andMatt Adams homered early in the game, to give the Cardinals a National league lead with 201 homers in the season, a second-best behind the American League leaders Baltimore Orioles (218). Additionally, the Cardinals tied the National League record for most consecutive games with at least one home run at 25. The Major League record is held by the Texas Rangers, who homered in 27 straight games in 2002.[132][133]
September 8 –Tyler Austin led off the bottom of the ninth inning with awalk-off home run offErasmo Ramírez, to give the New York Yankees its season-high fifth consecutive victory, 5–4, over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays.[135] It was the third home run for Austin in his 17th career game. Austin, who hit a home run in his firstat-bat on August 13, belted his second career homer on his 25th birthday, two days before, and gave the Yankees the lead in a win against the Toronto Blue Jays. According to theElias Sports Bureau, Austin is the first player in themodern era to hit a home run in his first at-bat, hit a home run on his birthday, and hit a walk-off home run within the first three home runs of his Major League career.[136]
September 10 – Los Angeles Dodgers pitcherRich Hill hurled seven perfect innings against the host Miami Marlins, but was pulled by Dodgers managerDave Roberts because of concern over a previous blister problem that caused Hill to miss significant time during the season. Hill had thrown 89 pitches and struck out nine before being replaced byJoe Blanton in the eight. But after two outs, Blanton allowed a single toJeff Francoeur. Then, in the ninth,Dee Gordon added another single with two outs, as the Dodgers finally prevailed, 5–0. In the seventh, left fielderYasiel Puig made an outstanding diving catch for the third out, deprivingMartín Prado of a likelyextra-base hit while preserving theperfect game for Hill.[137] It is the second time Roberts removes a pitcher with ano-hitter bid going late in a game, having done the same to rookieRoss Stripling back on April 8. By then, Stripling had thrown 100 pitches and7+1⁄3 innings in his Major League debut, a game the Dodgers finally lost to the San Francisco Giants atAT&T Park, 3–2, in 10 innings.[138]
September 11 –David Ortiz blasted a three-runhome run againstJoaquin Benoit in the sixth inning, as the Boston Red Sox went on to win the Toronto Blue Jays atRogers Centre, 11–8, that restored their two-game lead in the American League East.[139] The Red Sox had already blown two early leads and were now facing an 8–7 deficit.[139] For Ortiz, it was his career 535 home run, moving him ahead ofJimmie Foxx into sole possession of 18th place on theMLB all-time home run list, and is now one homer behindMickey Mantle for 17th in the list.[139] It also brought back memories from the past, when Ortiz slugged agrand slam off Benoit,[139] then with the Detroit Tigers, during the eighth inning ofGame 2 of the 2013 ALCS with Boston in a 5–1 hole. The Red Sox won the game, 6–5, tied the series, and ended winning the AL championship in six games, en route to the2013 World Series title. Heading into his 123rd and final regular season game ever at Rogers Centre,[140] Ortiz already extended his own records for most career homers (41),runs batted in (108) andextra-base hits (76) for a visiting player.[140] Ortiz also increased his RBI total to 110 in the season, the most by a player aged 40 or above sinceDave Winfield had 108 for Toronto in 1992.[139]
September 12 :
Chicago Cubs pitcherKyle Hendricks took ano-hitter bid into the ninth inning in a start against the St. Louis Cardinals atBusch Stadium, butJeremy Hazelbaker led off the frame with a home run to break it up. Still, Hendricks earned his 15th victory of the season, 4–1, and lowered his ERA to 2.03, the best in Major League Baseball.[141]
David Ortiz hit his 536th career home run atFenway Park to tieMickey Mantle for 17th place on theMLB all-time home run list, as the Boston Red Sox crushed the Baltimore Orioles, 12–2, to maintain a two-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East Division.David Price improved his season record to 16–8, allowing two runs on two hits without walks, while striking out nine in eight innings for his seventh victory in as many starts to set the longest winning streak of his career.[142]
September 14 – The Toronto Blue Jays announced the hiring of former Boston Red Sox general managerBen Cherington as their new vice president of baseball operations. Cherington, who guided the Red Sox to the2013 World Series title, left the organization afterDave Dombrowski was hired as president of baseball operations in August 2015. Since then, Dombrowski credited Cherington for helping to develop a talented group of young players for the Sox, includingMookie Betts,Xander Bogaerts,Jackie Bradley Jr. andAndrew Benintendi, among others. Cherington started his career as an advance scout for the Cleveland Indians in 1998, whenMark Shapiro worked as assistant general manager of the Indians. Shapiro joined the Blue Jays as their new president and chief executive officer (CEO) at the end of the 2015 season.[143]
September 15 :
The Chicago Cubs wasted its first chance to clinch the NL Central Division title afterScooter Gennett hit a two-run double in the seventh inning that lifted the Milwaukee Brewers to a 5–4 win atWrigley Field. Nevertheless, the Cubs became the Major League first team to clinch their division, when the St. Louis Cardinals lost to the San Francisco Giants, 6–2, late at night. It was the first NLCD title for the Cubs since 2008, as well as its fourth overall.[144]
Hanley Ramírez hit a two-out, three-runwalk-off home run offDellin Betances in the bottom of the ninth inning, to finish off a five-run rally that gave the Boston Red Sox a 7–5 victory over the New York Yankees atFenway Park. Boston was down, 5–1, beforeDavid Ortiz ripped a solo home run in the eighth for his career homer No. 537, which put him ahead ofMickey Mantle for17th place on MLB all-time home run list. Both homers were mammoth shots to center field. Ramirez's homer was projected at 441 feet while Ortiz's shot had a projected distance of 442 feet, according toSTATS LLC.[145][146]
Major League Baseball announced that San Diego Padres general managerA. J. Preller was suspended for 30 days without pay for submitting false medical records in the trade that sentDrew Pomeranz to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for top prospectAnderson Espinoza earlier this season. This is not the first time that Preller has been reprimanded by MLB. In 2010, Preller was suspended while serving as an assistant general manager for the Texas Rangers. That case involved the international signing rules, for negotiating and presenting a false age for Rafael De Paula, an amateur pitcher from the Dominican Republic. De Paula was also suspended and the Rangers fined.[147][148]
September 17 – Colorado Rockies pitcherJon Gray set a team record bystriking out 16 batters in a four-hit,complete gameshutout over the San Diego Padres atCoors Field. Gray etched his name into the Rockies' book in surpassing the previous 14-strikeout performance ofDarryl Kile, set on August 28, 1998. Gray also became the second Rockies pitcher tostrike four batters in an inning, doing so in the second frame on apassed ball, and posted another team mark with six consecutive strikeouts.[149]
September 18 :
The Detroit Tigers defeated the Cleveland Indians, 9–5, whileMiguel Cabrera collected his 2,500th career hit. Cabrera, a two-time American League MVP and triple crown winner, became the 100th player in Major League history to reach the milestone with his single off Indians starterTrevor Bauer in the third inning. Besides, the Venezuelan slugger also became the eighth player to do so by his age-33 season. The others on that short list includeHank Aaron,Ty Cobb,Jimmie Foxx,Rogers Hornsby,Mel Ott,Alex Rodriguez andRobin Yount. According to theElias Sports Bureau, Cabrera is the youngest to reach the 2,500 hits mark since Aaron did it in 1967.[150]
Hanley Ramírez hit two home runs and drove in four runs, to give the Boston Red Sox a 5–4 victory over the New York Yankees, while completing a four-game sweep atFenway Park. The Yankees took a 4–0 lead in the fifth inning, but for the third time in four days, they were unable to lock it down. In the bottom of the frame, Ramírez belted a two-out, three-run homer offCC Sabathia andJackie Bradley Jr. tied the score with an RBI single in the sixth on what wound up being the 112th and final pitch of the game for Sabathia. Then in the seventh, Ramírez hit his second homer of the game and fourth of the series against relieverTyler Clippard that snapped the 4–4 tie, as the Red Sox swept a four-game series from the Yankees for the first time since June 4–7, 1990.[151]
September 20-Marlins pitcherJose Fernandez strikes out 12 batters, allowing 3 hits and no walks in a 1–0 victory over the division-leadingWashington Nationals. This was the final game of Fernandez's career as he is killed in a boating accident 5 days later.
The Texas Rangers secured their second consecutive American League West Division title, becoming the first AL team to reach the playoffs with a 3–0 win against the host Oakland Athletics. This is the seventh ALWD title for the Rangers, and fourth since the 2010 season.[154]
David Ortiz hit a 411-foothome run to right field in the first inning that supplied the necessary runs in the Boston Red Sox' 2–1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays atTropicana Field.[155] Ortiz, who will retire at the end of the season, delivered his shot against starterChris Archer and raised hisruns batted in total to 124, one more thanShoeless Joe Jackson collected in his final season of 1920, when theRBI became an official statistic.[155] It was the 37th home run for Ortiz in his farewell season. Three days previously, he had passedDave Kingman for the most homers ever by a major league player in his final season. In 1986, Kingman hit 35 homers for the Oakland Athletics.[155] This homer also tied Ortiz with Hall of FamerLou Gehrig for the 10th most careerextra-base hits (1,190).[156] In addition, Ortiz hit a single in the seventh inning for his 2,465 career hit, putting him one hit shy of tying another Hall of Famer,Harry Hooper, for the 109th place on theall-time list.[157]
September 24 – The Washington Nationals defeated the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates, 6–1. Their victory ensured them a playoff berth, and then clinched the National League East Division title a few minutes later, when the second-place New York Mets lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, 10–8. For the Nationals, it was their thirdNational League East title in five years.[158]
September 25 :
The Miami Marlins cancel their game against the Atlanta Braves atMarlins Park due to the tragic death of Marlins star pitcherJosé Fernández in a boating accident in Miami Beach earlier that morning.[159]
The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the visiting Colorado Rockies, 4–3, in the bottom of the 10th inning, and became the first National League West Division team to win the title for the fourth straight year. In addition, the Dodgers is the first National League team to clinch four division titles in a row since the Philadelphia Phillies won the NL East Division from 2007 through 2011.[160]
The Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 3–2, in 10 innings atTropicana Field, to complete their third sweep in a row. It was the 11th consecutive victory for the Red Sox, who set a Major League Baseball record bystriking out 11 straight batters at one point in the game.[161] Previously, the Sox swept the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles in their respective ballparks. Boston made history when their pitchers set a team record with 23 strikeouts, including a major league record of 11 in a row. The 23 strikeouts overall were the most in a 10-inning game since at least 1913 and the most in a game of any length since 2004. StarterEduardo Rodríguez had a career-high 13 strikeouts through5+1⁄3 innings, including the final six batters he faced. Rodríguez was relieved byHeath Hembree, who struck out all five Rays he saw in1+2⁄3 innings.[161] The New York Mets held the previous mark whenTom Seaver struck out 10 in a row against the San Diego Padres on April 22, 1970.[162]Matt Barnes did strike out one andJoe Kelly fanned four to complete the feat.Dustin Pedroia, who sealed the previous game with agrand slam, hit a solohome run in the third inning and aggressively scored the winning run with anRBI-double byDavid Ortiz in the tenth. The relay throw fromoutfield beat Pedroia to thehome plate, but he avoidedcatcherLuke Maile's first tag and past the plate. Then Pedroia went back to touch it and Maile was charged with anerror when the ball dropped out of his glove on another tag attempt. Meanwhile,Mookie Betts extended his hitting streak to 11 games with an RBIsingle in the first. The Red Sox' one-run lead disappeared in the eighth inning whenFernando Abad allowed an RBI single toBrad Miller, but Kelly was able to come on and induced a4–6–3 double play to end the eighth. He was credited with the win, pitching the last2+2⁄3 innings.[161]
September 26 :
The Cleveland Indians earned a berth in the postseason with a 7–4 victory over the Detroit Tigers atComerica Park. It was the first American League Central Division title for Cleveland in the last nine years and the eight overall. The Indians last won theAmerican League Central division championship in 2007 and advanced to the AL Championship Series. They achieved a 3–1 advantage in the ALCS, only to lose to the eventualWorld Series Champion Boston Red Sox in seven games.[163]
The Miami Marlins defeat the New York Mets 7–3 in the team's first game since the tragic death of pitcherJosé Fernández the previous day. In the first inning, Marlins second basemanDee Gordon took the first pitch from Mets pitcherBartolo Colón batting right-handed and imitating Fernández's batting stance. Gordon then switched around to bat left-handed and then two pitches later hit his first home run of the season.[164]
September 28 :
The Boston Red Sox won its third American League East Division title in the last ten seasons, despite squandering a three-run lead in the ninth inning of a 5–3 loss to the host New York Yankees. The Red Sox assured their division title nearly 30 minutes before, when the Baltimore Orioles rallied for a 3–2 victory over the second place Toronto Blue Jays atRogers Centre. With their win, the Orioles moved within one game of the AL wild card leading Blue Jays. New York is four games back of the second AL wild card spot and is either an Orioles' win or Yankees loss from being officially eliminated from the playoffs.[165]
John Jasohit for the cycle anddrove in five runs, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8–4 victory over the Chicago Cubs atPNC Park. As a result, Jaso completed the first cycle in the history of Pittsburgh's ballpark since it was inaugurated in 2001. Furthermore, Jaso became just the second catcher in Major League Baseball history to hit a cycle and catch aperfect game, joining Hall of FamerRay Schalk, who caught theCharlie Robertson's perfecto in 1922 while playing for the Chicago White Sox. Jaso did so for the Seattle Mariners, along withFélix Hernández in 2012.[166]
September 29 :
The Chicago Cubs announced that president of baseball operationsTheo Epstein was signed a five-year contract extension that will run from 2017 through 2021. The Cubs also gave extensions to general managerJed Hoyer and vice president of amateur scouting and player developmentJason McLeod. Epstein, 42,resigned as general manager of the Boston Red Sox to join the Cubs in October 2011. While the early stages of his tenure were mired with losing clubs, the Cubs were transformed from a mediocre cellar dweller team to a powerhouse that has posted the best record in Major League Baseball this season after finishing with97 wins a year ago.[167]
For the first time since the 2005 season, a Major League Baseball game ends in a tie as rain stops the final scheduled contest of the year between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates in the sixth inning with the score tied at 1–1. The game will not be resumed as its result has no bearing on the postseason results. Instead of becoming a suspended game, the statistics count and it was declared a tie, the first since the Houston Astros and Cincinnati Reds went seven innings on June 30, 2005, before rain halted them.[168]
September 30 – The Cincinnati Reds announced thatBryan Price will return as the team's manager for the 2017 season. His new deal includes a club option for 2018. Theentire coaching staff also has been offered one-year contracts as well. Price joined the Reds as their pitching coach in 2010, and was promoted to manager after the 2013 season whenDusty Baker was dismissed.[169]
October 1 – The New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5–3, and secured a berth in the postseason, qualifying for the playoffs in consecutive seasons for just the second time in franchise history. As theNo. 1 seed in theNational League wild card game, they will host the No. 2 seed on October 5 atCiti Field. The Mets last reached consecutive postseasons in 1999 and 2000, both times as the wild-card entry.[170]
October 2 – The Baltimore Orioles beat the New York Yankees, 5–2, to clinch an American League Wild Card spot, while the Toronto Blue Jays assured a berth in the postseason when the Detroit Tigers lost to the Atlanta Braves 1–0. Later, Toronto defeated the Boston Red Sox, 2–1, to earn the No. 1 wild-card spot and will host the Orioles on October 4. The winner move on to face the Texas Rangers in the AL Division Series. Furthermore, the San Francisco Giants were the last National League team to reach the playoffs, securing the second NL wild card with a 7–1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, during what turned out to be the last game behind the mike for legendary Hall of Fame broadcasterVin Scully. San Francisco, which won World Series titles between 2010 and 2014, plays at the defending NL champion New York Mets on October 4 in the NL wild-card game, with the winner advancing to the NL Division Series against the Chicago Cubs.[171]
October 3 :
The Chicago White Sox namedRick Renteria as the 40thfield manager in club history, replacingRobin Ventura, who managed the Sox during the last five seasons. Renteria served asbench coach under Ventura this past season and previously managed the Cubs in 2014,[172] joiningJohnny Evers as the only people in the history of the Chicago franchises to manage both.[173] Besides, Renteria spent six seasons on the San Diego Padres' coaching staff, including 2011–2013 as their bench coach and 2008–2010 coaching at first base. In between, he managed theMexico Team in the2013 World Baseball Classic.[172]
Walt Weiss resigned as Colorado Rockies manager after four seasons at the helm, even though his departure was not entirely unexpected, as he was in the last year of a three-year contract and there were no negotiations to extend that during the season. Weiss posted a 283–365 record in his four-year managing tenure and never had a winning season. An All-Star shortstop and Rookie of Year Award winner, he played for four teams in 14 seasons spanning 1987–2000, four of them with the Rockies in the mid-1990s, including their wild card-winning season of 1995. Weiss later served in the organization as a special assistant to the general manager for seven years from 2002 to 2008.[174]
Coming off another disappointing season, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced thatgeneral managerDave Stewart andfield managerChip Hale will not be back in 2017, as Stewart was told his contract would not be renewed and Hale was dismissed. The role ofchief baseball officerTony La Russa had not been resolved. Arizona finished with a 69–93 record in 2016, 22 games out of first place, and missed the playoffs again. La Russa was hired in May 2014 to oversee the baseball operations department and he spent the rest of that season evaluating the organization. As a result, La Russa dismissed GMKevin Towers and managerKirk Gibson inSeptember that year and then hired Stewart and Hale to replace them. The Diamondbacks clinched the2001 World Series and won three National League west division titles between 2002 and 2011, but the team has been in a steady decline since then, posting five consecutive non-winning seasons.[175]
October 4 –Edwin Encarnación hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the 11th inning atRogers Centre, to send the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5–2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Wild Card Game. Toronto now advances to the AL Division Series for a best-of-five rematch against the Texas Rangers atGlobe Life Park in Arlington. It also was the first postseasonwalk-off home run for the Blue Jays sinceJoe Carter hit one to win the1993 World Series.[176]
October 5 – The San Francisco Giants defeated the New York Mets, 3–0, behind the pitching ofMadison Bumgarner and a three-run home run fromConor Gillaspie off relieverJeurys Familia in the ninth inning, to win the National League Wild Card Game atCiti Field. With their victory, the Giants advanced to face the heavily favored host Chicago Cubs in the best-of-five NL Division Series beginning on October 7. Bumgarner, who allowed four hits with twowalks andstruck out six in his third career postseasonshutout, completed 23 consecutiveinnings pitched in the postseason without giving up a run, setting a new MLB record. In a losing effort, Mets starterNoah Syndergaard carried ano-hitter with two outs into the sixth inning before taking a no-decision after seven shutout frames and 10 strikeouts.[177]
October 6 :
Troy Tulowitzki hit abases-loadedtriple that capped a five-run third inning andMarco Estrada pitched a gem as the Toronto Blue Jays crushed the host Texas Rangers, 10–1, in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.José Bautista added a three-run homer in the ninth inning and drove in four runs, whileJosh Donaldson went 4-for-4 along with two RBI and two runs scored. For his part, Estrada hurled ashutout through8+1⁄3 strong innings, allowing a run on four hits andstriking out six batters without issuing awalk. Rangers starterCole Hamels lasted just3+1⁄3 innings, giving up seven runs (six earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out one.[178]
The Toronto Blue Jays smashed fourhome runs to take a 5–3 victory over the Texas Rangers in Game 2 of the American League Division Series. All four homers came off TexasstarterYu Darvish, which provided the Blue Jays with a 2–0 lead in the best-of-five format and pushed the Rangers to the brink of elimination. ForTroy Tulowitzki, who delivered the big hit for Toronto with abases-loadedtriple in Game 1, his two-run shot in the top of the second inning was his fourth career postseason home run. The Blue Jays then broke the game wide open in the fifth with three solo homers fromKevin Pillar,Edwin Encarnación andEzequiel Carrera. Toronto starterJ. A. Happ pitched five-plus innings and allowed just one run. He scattered nine hits and had fivestrikeouts with awalk, whilecloserRoberto Osuna came from the bullpen for a five-outsave. Now the series moves to Toronto'sRogers Centre, where a win will propel Canada's team into a second consecutive AL Championship Series.[181]
Cleveland IndiansstarterCorey Kluber pitched seventh scoreless innings to set up a 6–0 home win against the Boston Red Sox. Showing no signs of a late-season groin tightness,[182] Kluber allowed only threesingles along with sevenstrikeouts and threewalks. After that,Dan Otero andBryan Shaw combined for two perfect-innings of relief, which moved the Indians to within one win of a place in the American League Championship Series for the first time in nine years. For his part,Lonnie Chisenhall connected for a three-runhome run in the second inning off Boston starterDavid Price, who fell to a 0–8 record with a 5.74earned run average in nine career playoff starts. Price lasted just3+1⁄3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits in only 65 pitches, as the Red Sox fell into a 2–0 deficit in the series and will face elimination in Game 3 atFenway Park.[183]
Los Angeles Dodgers pitching aceClayton Kershaw was not at his best form but did enough to lead the Dodgers to a 4–3 win over the host Washington Nationals in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. Kershaw, who was backed by earlyhome runs fromCorey Seager andJustin Turner, gave up an uncharacteristic eight hits but didstrike out seven andwalked one in his five innings of work, throwing 101 pitches in the process. At the beginning, Kershaw had a 4–0 lead in the bottom of the third inning but gave up a two-run,RBI single toAnthony Rendon, followed by anRBI sacrifice fly fromTrea Turner in the fourth to cut the Nationals' deficit to 4–3. Then four Dodgers relievers combined to pitch four scoreless innings and close out the game. Washington starterMax Scherzer allowed the four runs on five hits, striking out five without issuing a walk in six innings and was credited with the loss.[184]
The Chicago Cubs–San Francisco Game 1 of the National League Division Series was a classic pitchers' duel between Cubs'Jon Lester and Giants'Johnny Cueto, with the game scoreless into the bottom of the eighth inning atWrigley Field. Cubssecond basemanJavier Báez supplied the only run of the game with a solohome run that just made it to therestricted basket above the left field wall. As a result, the run ended the Giants record of not giving up a run in 23 innings of postseason play, dating back to the2014 World Series. Lester spaced six hits andstrike out six batters without allowing awalk, guiding the Cubs to a 1–0 record in the best-of-five NL Division Series. In the ninth, CubscloserAroldis Chapman allowed a two-outdouble toBuster Posey in the ninth, before retiringHunter Pence on aground out to Báez for the final out of the game. Cueto was the hard luck loser as he went the distance for San Francisco, allowing only three hits and striking out ten while walking none.[185]
October 8 :
The Chicago Cubs beat the San Francisco Giants, 5–2, taking a 2–0 advantage in the best-of-five National League Division Series in front of a sellout crowd of 42,392 atWrigley Field. CubsstarterKyle Hendricks contributed with a two-run RBI single in the second inning that led to an early departure for Giants starterJeff Samardzija, but was forced to leave the game after suffering a right forearm bruise in the fourth inning. Hendricks was replaced byTravis Wood, who retired the last out of the inning and then in the bottom half hit ahome run offGeorge Kontos to the left field bleachers. It was the first home run by arelief pitcher in the postseason sinceNew York Giants'Rosy Ryan hit one inGame 3 of the 1924 World Series. Moreover, Wood joinedRick Sutcliffe (1984 NLCS) andKerry Wood (2003 NLCS) as the only Cubs pitchers to hit a home run in the playoffs. Wood pitched1+1⁄3 scoreless innings and earned the win, while three more relievers andcloserAroldis Chapman maintained the three-run lead. The Game 3 will be played on Monday 10 at San Francisco'sAT&T Park.[186]
MLB commissionerRob Manfred announced that the National League Division Series Game 2 between the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers had been postponed until Sunday due to a steady rain falling in Washington, D.C. area.[187]
October 9 :
José Lobatón hit a three-runhome run that capped a third-inning rally andDaniel Murphy went 3-for-3 with twoRBI as the Washington Nationals defeated the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers, 5–2, in Game 2 of the National League Division Series. NationalsstarterTanner Roark allowed two runs and seven hits in just4+1⁄3 innings, but fiverelievers combined to shut out Los Angeles for the final4+2⁄3 innings. The light-hitting and rarely used Lobatón, who is playing as a replacement for injured All-Star catcherWilson Ramos, became an unlikely hero in the rain-postponed game when his shot served to erase an early deficit and evened the best-of-five series at one-all.Blake Treinen was credited with the win whileMark Melancon earned thesave. Dodgers starterRich Hill gave up four runs and six hits in4+1⁄3 innings and was charged with the loss. The series will resume on Monday 10 atDodger Stadium.[188]
The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Texas Rangers atRogers Centre, 7–6, to sweep their best-of-five American League Division Series and advance to the AL Championship Series for the second straight year. Texas led the league with 95 victories in the regular season, but lost three games in a row to Toronto for a second straight ALDS exit.Josh Donaldson scored the winning run in the 10th inning, after Texas second basemanRougned Odor bounced adouble play relay throw with two outs. TorontostarterAaron Sanchez was removed with two outs in the sixth inning. He was charged with six runs (four earned) on three hits and four walks, includinghome runs by Odor andElvis Andrus. Then fourrelievers combined to allow one hit in4+1⁄3 scoreless innings, including a six-out win fromcloserRoberto Osuna. The Blue Jays offensive was led by Donaldson, who went 3-for-5 with twodoubles, two runs and oneRBI, whileEdwin Encarnación hit a three-run homer with an RBI single, andRussell Martin added a solo shot. Texas starterColby Lewis lasted only two innings, allowing five runs and five hits in just 42 pitches, being followed by six relievers.Matt Bush was the losing pitcher after2+2⁄3 innings of work. The Blue Jays will face now the winner of the Boston Red Sox–Cleveland Indians series.[189]
The Game 3 of the American League Division Series between the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians atFenway Park was officially postponed due to rain. It was rescheduled for Monday 10.[190]
October 10 :
Jayson Werth hit anRBI double and onehome run, helping move the Washington Nationals within one victory of taking a postseason series as a team for the first time with an 8–3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.Corey Seager slashed adouble in the bottom of the first inning to scoreJustin Turner and give the Dodgers an early 1–0 lead. But the Nationals responded with four runs in the third, which included a two run-homer byAnthony Rendon. After that,Carlos Ruiz smashed a two-run homer in the fifth that put the score at 4–3. Both teams then traded zeroes until the top of the ninth, when Wertz delivered his solo shot andRyan Zimmerman added a two-run RBI double. Zimmerman then scored an insurance run on asacrifice fly RBI fromChris Heisey. NationalsstarterGio González allowed all three runs by the Dodgers in4+1⁄3 innings, but fourrelievers preserved the rest of the way, withSammy Solis being credited with the win. The losing pitcher wasKenta Maeda, who lasted just three innings while allowing four runs on five hits and twowalks alongside fourstrikeouts. The Game 4 of the National League Division Series will be played atDodger Stadium, which left Los Angeles on the brink of elimination at home.[191]
The Cleveland Indians completed a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a 4–3 win atFenway Park in the American League Division Series.Tyler Naquin delivered a two-run single off losing pitcherClay Buchholz in the fourth inning, andCoco Crisp added a two-runhome run againstDrew Pomeranz in the sixth to give the Indians a 4–1 lead. On the other hand,Josh Tomlin pitched five strong innings of four-hit ball and two runs for Cleveland. He then was backed byrelieversAndrew Miller andBryan Shaw, whilecloserCody Allen got four outs as the Indians advanced the AL Championship Series for thefirst time since 2007. Red Soxdesignated hitterDavid Ortiz collected anRBI sacrifice fly in beforewalking on four pitches during his final careerplate appearance in the eight inning. Through 14 seasons of top notch ranking, Ortiz guided the Red Sox to its first three World Series titles sincetheir 1918 season. Ten minutes after the final out, when most of Cleveland's players had moved the field celebration into the visitors' clubhouse, the Boston faithful demanded to see Ortiz one more time. Chants of "We're not leaving!" and "Thank you, Papi!" finally drew Ortiz back onto the field, where he lumbered out to the pitching mound and tipped his cap in all directions. The Indians advanced to the AL Championship Series for the first time since 2007, when they beat the New York Yankees in the ALDS and then wasted a 3–1 lead over the Red Sox in the ALCS. As a home club, Cleveland will wait for the Toronto Blue Jays to open the best-of-seven championship series on October 14.[192]
Joe PanikdoubledBrandon Crawford with the winning run to snap a tie in the bottom of the 13th inning, sending the San Francisco Giants to a 6–5 victory over the Chicago Cubs in Game 3 of the National League Division Series atAT&T Park. GiantsstarterMadison Bumgarner pitched just five innings, allowing a three-runhome run to the opposing pitcher,Jake Arrieta, to finish his MLB record of 24 consecutive innings of shutout ball during the postseason. Elevenrelievers were used in the game, withTy Blach earning the win andMike Montgomery taking the loss, as San Francisco trimmed the Cubs' lead in the best-of-five series to 2–1.[193]
October 11 :
Chase Utley delivered a tie-breakingRBI single with two outs in the eighth inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6–5 victory over the Washington Nationals atDodger Stadium. Utley singled offreliever and losing pitcherBlake Treinen, leveling the National League Division Series at 2–2 and allowing the Dodgers to force a decisive Game 5 at Washington on October 13. The Dodgers held a 4–2 lead after three innings and 5–2 after five, when the Nationalsloaded the bases against Los AngelesstarterClayton Kershaw with two outs in the top of the seventh. Kershaw was removed after throwing 110 pitches, being replaced withPedro Báez, who promptly hitJayson Werth with his first pitch, beforeDaniel Murphy followed with a two-run single offLuis Avilán to tie the score at 5–5. Kershaw, who was pitching on three days' rest for the fourth consecutive postseason,struck out 11 but was charged with five runs on seven hits and twowalks in6+2⁄3 innings of work. Dodgers relieverJoe Blanton did strike out two in a scoreless1+1⁄3 innings for the win andcloserKenley Jansen also struck out two in one inning for thesave. Washington starterJoe Ross lasted only2+2⁄3 innings, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks alongside three strikeouts. Besides,Adrián González hit a two-runhome run for the Dodgers while Murphy went 2-for-3 with four RBI for the Nationals.[194]
Javier Báez slashed anRBI single that capped a four-run rally in the top of the ninth inning to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 6–5 victory over the San Francisco Giants atAT&T Park and a 3–1 National League Division Series win. As a result, the Cubs uprising against five San Franciscorelievers denied the Giants an 11th consecutive win in an elimination game, which would have extended their own MLB record. GiantsstarterMatt Moore limited the Cubs to two runs and two hits over eight innings andConor Gillaspie went 4-for-4 in an 11-hit effort, as the Giants were three outs away from forcing a fifth and deciding game when they took a 5–2 lead into the ninth. ButBen Zobrist hit an RBIdouble andWillson Contreras contributed with a two-run, game-tying RBI single with none out, before Báez singled in the go-ahead run two batters later. Cubs starterJohn Lackey allowed four runs in four innings andHéctor Rondón, who worked a scoreless eighth inning, was credited with the win. Rondón was followed bycloserAroldis Chapman, who blew asave in the 13-inning loss the previous game, but now earned his third save of the series bystriking out the side in the ninth, sending his team into the next round. Giants relieverWill Smith was charged with the loss, even though the run off him wasunearned. Next up for the Cubs will be Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, set for Saturday 15 atWrigley Field against either the Washington Nationals or Los Angeles Dodgers.[195]
The Atlanta Braves hired interim managerBrian Snitker as their full-time skipper in 2017 with a club option for the 2018 season. Additionally, the Braves announced thatRon Washington has been signed as the team's new third base coach, asBo Porter will become a special assistant to general managerJohn Coppolella.[196] It will be the 41st year that Snitker has worked for the Atlanta organization. A former catcher, he has spent 20 of those seasons managing 2,571 games in the Minor Leagues at Triple-A, Double-A, Class-A Advanced, Class-A and Rookie ball levels, and also has coached in the Majors for more than 10 years.[197] He was named interim manager earlier this season after the Braves dismissedFredi González from the post that he had occupied since the 2011 campaign. The Braves finished last in the National League East Division but won 20 of their last 30 games with Snitker at the helm. Overall, the club posted a 37–35 record after the All-Star break.[196]
October 13 – The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the host Washington Nationals in Game 5 of the National League Division Series, 4–3, to advance to the National League Championship Series. Held scoreless through six innings by WashingtonstarterMax Scherzer, the Dodgers broke out in the seventh inning against fiverelievers. Two days after starting Game 4 in Los Angeles,Clayton Kershaw made his first relief appearance since 2009 and sealed the victory for the Dodgers. Washington had taken an early 1–0 lead in the second inning, whenDaniel Murphy scored on anRBI single byDanny Espinosa off Dodgers starterRich Hill.Joc Pederson then led off the seventh with a solohome run to left off Scherzer, who allowed five hits along twowalks and didstrike out seven while throwing 98 pitches. After that,Carlos Ruiz hit a go-ahead single off reliever and losing pitcherMarc Rzepczynski, andJustin Turner added a two-runtriple to give Los Angeles a 4–1 lead. But Washington came back in the bottom of the inning after a walk and a two-run homer byChris Heisey offGrant Dayton, who then put another runner on base and was relieved bycloserKenley Jansen. Regardless allowing four walks and one hit, Jansen was still able to strike out four and get eight outs before being replaced by Kershaw to retire the final two batters.Julio Urías, who pitched two innings of relief, was credited with the win and Kershaw earned thesave. The Dodgers now will face the Chicago Cubs in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series starting atWrigley Field on Saturday 15.[198]
October 16 - The Arizona Diamondbacks hiredMike Hazen as their new general manager and executive vice president.Tony La Russa, formerly the team's chief baseball officer, will remain as a chief baseball analyst and adviser. Hazen spent 2016 as the Boston Red Sox general manager, serving as the point man under Boston president of baseball operationsDave Dombrowski. Hazen have joined the Red Sox in 2006, first as the team's director of player development and then as the assistant GM forBen Cherington. Prior to that, Hazen worked for five seasons in the Cleveland Indians scouting and player development departments.[199][200]
October 19 - The Cleveland Indians won their first American League pennantsince 1997 by defeating the Toronto Blue Jays, 3–0, in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series atRogers Centre.Carlos Santana andCoco Crisp belted home runs that give them the runs they need. Besides, rookieRyan Merritt pitched4+1⁄3 shutout innings before turning the ball over to relieverAndrew Miller, who pitched another2+2⁄3 scoreless innings. Miller was named the Series Most Valuable Player in recognition of his four dominating appearances, all during critical phases of victories by the Indians.[201]
November 3 - The Minnesota Twins announced the hiring ofThad Levine as their new senior vice president and general manager. The team finished with a 59–103 mark in this season, the worse record than any other Twins team since the franchise moved to Minnesota in 1961. Levine had been with the Texas Rangers since the 2005 season, as his responsibilities in Texas included assisting GMJon Daniels in multiple capacities. Levine, who will work under the Twins' new chief baseball officerDerek Falvey, previously worked for the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers.[205]
November 5 - The Arizona Diamondbacks announced thatTorey Lovullo will be their new manager. Lovullo will receive a three-year deal, according to a source. Lovullo, who served as bench coach for the Boston Red Sox for the last four seasons, spent ten seasons as a Minor League skipper between the Cleveland Indians and Red Sox organizations and also acted as interim manager for Boston while incumbentJohn Farrell underwent treatment for lymphoma late in the 2015 season. Lovullo has a longstanding relationship with new Arizona general managerMike Hazen, as they worked together with both the Red Sox and the Indians.[206]
November 7 -Bud Black was introduced as the new manager of the Colorado Rockies. Black, who replaces departedWalt Weiss, received a three-year deal with at least one option included. Black will now manage his second National League West team, having previously served as the San Diego Padres skipper from 2007 through 2015. The Padres went 649-713 under Black, who helped the club to an 89-win season in 2007 and a 90-victory campaign in 2010, earning NL Manager of the Year honors in the latter season. The Washington Nationals nearly hired Black after the 2015 season before contract talks broke down and the Nationals then hiredDusty Baker. After a major league pitching career that spanned 15 seasons, Black became a respected pitching coach for the Anaheim Angels from 2000 to 2006, helping the team win the2002 World Series title.[207]
November 30 - Major League Baseball announced that has reached a tentative five-year labor agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association through the 2021 season, hours before the old labor agreement was set to expire. The new CBA extends through the 2021 season and is subject to ratification by both parties, knowing there was far too much at stake for an impasse.[208]
December 14 - Major League Baseball and the MLB Player's Association officially ratified the new collective bargaining agreement, per announcements from both entities. The new agreement will run for five years. By the end of the new agreement, Baseball will have gone 26 years without a strike or a lockout since the1994-95 players' strike that cancelled the 1994 World Series, continuing the sport's longest period of labor peace since the inception of the collective bargaining relationship, according to an MLB statement.[209]
January 5 –Jay Ritchie, 79, durable long reliever for the Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds in a span of five seasons from 1964 to 1968, who over a stretch of six appearances in May 1967 for the Reds, tossed11+2⁄3 hitless innings, including retiring 28 consecutive batters.
January 9 –Lance Rautzhan, 63, left-handed reliever for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1977 to 1979, while facing the New York Yankees in the 1977 and 1978 World Series, who was the winning pitcher inGame 3 of the 1977 NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies, when the Dodgers came back from a two-out, 5–3 deficit in the top of the 9th inning following keypinch hits byVic Davalillo andManny Mota.
January 10 –Alton Brown, 90, pitcher for the 1951 Washington Senators, who never played organized baseball at any level until he was with an Army team during World War II.
January 11 –Monte Irvin, 96, Hall of Fame left fielder who played a significant role in the integration of MLB while mentoring many of the African-American players who were breaking into the big leagues in the 1950s, whose playing career spanned almost 18 seasons, from his debut in the Negro leagues with the Newark Eagles in 1938 to seven seasons with the New York Giants from 1949 to 1955 and one with the Chicago Cubs in 1956, leading the Giants to the 1951 National League pennant, after hitting .312 with 24 home runs and a league-best 121 RBI, en route to a third-place finish in the MVP voting behindRoy Campanella andStan Musial.
January 13 –Luis 'Tite' Arroyo, 88, a two-time All-Star relief pitcher who was the first Puerto Rican-born player to appear for the New York Yankees, joining them in 1960 to become a key part of their American League pennant-winning staffthat year, while posting a 15–5 record with a 2.19 ERA in 119 relief innings in 1961, en route to theWorld Series championship.
January 19 –Rich Severson, 71, shortstop for the Kansas City Royals in parts of two seasons from 1970 to 1971.
January 19 –Frank Sullivan, 85, two-time All-Star pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins from 1953 to 1963, and also topped the American League with 18 wins and 260 innings in 1955.
January 23 –Marie Mahoney, 91, outfielder who played from 1947 to 1948 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, as well as the only Houston-born ballplayer to perform in the league during its twelve years of existence.
January 23 –Walt 'No-Neck' Williams, 72, corner outfielder and solid hitter best known for his hustle during his six seasons with the Chicago White Sox from 1967 to 1972, while hitting .304 in 1969 for the sixth-best average in the American League.
January 24 –Clyde Mashore, 70, outfielder who played from 1969 through 1973 for the Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos.
January 25 –Ron Stillwell, 76, middle-infielder for the Washington Senators in the 1961 and 1962 seasons, who also coached at Thousand Oaks, Cal Lutheran and Moorpark College, and was co-captain of USC's national championship baseball team in 1961.
January 27 –Barbara Berger, 85, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League catcher from 1949 to 1950.
January 30 –Betty Francis, 84, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League slugging outfielder who played with four teams in a span of six seasons from 1949 to 1954.
February 16 –Alcibíades Colón, 96, Dominican Republic right fielder and member of the 1950 national team, who in 1955 made history as the first player to connect a hit and score a run in the Estadio Quisqueya of Santo Domingo.
February 17 –Brock Pemberton, 62, first baseman who played from 1974 to 1975 for the New York Mets.
February 17 –Tony Phillips, 56, valuable utility man who spent 18 seasons in the majors from 1982 to 1999, mostly with the Oakland Athletics, playing also for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Anaheim Angels, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays, while winning a1989 World Series ring with the Athletics.
February 18 –Jim Davenport, 82, two-time All-Star infielder who played his entire career with the San Francisco Giants from 1958 through 1970, leading the National League third basemen in fielding percentage in 1960 and 1961, while winning a Gold Glove in 1962; managed 1985 Giants to a 56–88 record before his firing and replacement by Roger Craig on September 17.
February 20 –Kevin Collins, 69, third baseman for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, and Detroit Tigers in a span of six seasons from 1965 to 1971, and a member of the1969 Miracle Mets.
February 23 –Jacqueline Mattson, 87, catcher who played from 1950 to 1951 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
February 24 –Eddie Einhorn, 80, baseball executive, vice chairman of the Chicago White Sox and minority owner from 1981 until his death.
February 27 –Bob Spicer, 90, relief pitcher for the Kansas City Athletics in the 1955 and 1956 seasons.
March 7 –Steve Kraly, 86, starting pitcher for the 1953 New York Yankees World Series champions, who later became a fixture in the press box as the official scorer forBinghamton Mets games, since the franchise's inaugural season in 1992 until 2015.
March 12 –Annastasia Batikis, 88, center fielder who played for the Racine Belles of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the 1945 season.
March 12 –Bill Whitby, 72, pitcher for the 1964 Minnesota Twins.
March 13 –Trent Baker, 25, Australian pitcher for theBrisbane Bandits, who also spent time in the Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves Minor League systems.
March 14 –June Peppas, 86, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher, a two-time All-Star who hurled and won the decisive game of the1954 AAGPBL Championship Series for the Kalamazoo Lassies, during what turned out to be the final game in the league's history.
March 15 –Alice Pollitt, 86, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League infielder, who was a member of three championship clubs and two All-Star teams.
March 18 –Fred Richards, 88, first baseman for the 1951 Chicago Cubs.
March 23 –Joe Garagiola, 90, catcher for four teams in a span of nine seasons from 1946 to 1954, who later became a broadcaster, most prominently forNBC. Winner of theFord C. Frick Award in 1991.
March 31 –Orlando Álvarez, 64, Puerto Rican backup outfielder who played from 1973 to 1976 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and California Angels.
March 31 –Tom Butters, 77, relief pitcher who played from 1962 through 1965 for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
April 1 –Marjorie Peters, 97, one of the sixty original players to join the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League for its inaugural season in 1943, who also earned the distinction of having pitched in the first game ever played in the league.
April 4 –Mike Sandlock, 100, catcher for the Boston Braves, Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates in part of five seasons spanning 1942–1953 who, at the time of his death, was the oldest living former major league ballplayer.
April 4 –Ted Toles Jr., 90, African American pitcher and outfielder who played in Negro league baseball and the Minor Leagues.
April 12 –Paul Carey, 88, radio announcer who teamed withErnie Harwell to call Detroit Tigers games from 1972 to 1991.
April 12 –Spec Richardson, 93, who served as general manager for the Houston Astros from 1967 through 1975 and for the San Francisco Giants from 1976 to 1980, being named MLB executive of the year while with theGiants in 1978.
April 14 –Ron Theobald, 72, second baseman who played from 1971 to 1972 for the Milwaukee Brewers.
April 19 –Milt Pappas, 76, two-time All-Star pitcher in 17 Major League seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs, who came within one pitch of a perfect game onSeptember 2, 1972 against the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field, giving up a walk toLarry Stahl in a 3–2 count with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, before retiring the next batter to complete the no-hitter.
April 20 –Harry Perkowski, 93, Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs pitcher and World War II veteran, who hurled a 12-inning, three-hit shutout against the New York Giants at Crosley Field in 1953, led the National League in fielding average as a pitcher in 1951 and 1953, and was also noted as a good-hitting pitcher.
May 2 –Gordie Sundin, 78, relief pitcher for the 1956 Baltimore Orioles.
May 3 –Charlie Beamon, 81, pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles in a span of three seasons from 1956 to 1958.
May 8 –John Young, 67, who spent more than 40 years in baseball as a player, scout and executive, which included a brief stint at first base for the Detroit Tigers in 1971, and createdReviving Baseball in Inner Cities (also known asRBI) with the support of Major League Baseball in 1989, to increase participation in youth baseball and provide a positive activity for kids that would keep them off the mean streets, as the program grew successfully, and is now encompassing over 240 sites around the world.
May 13 –Sammy Ellis, 75, All-Star pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds in 1965, while going 22–10 with a 3.79 ERA and 15 complete games, who also pitched with the California Angels and Chicago White Sox, and later served as pitching coach for several teams, including the New York Yankees.
May 13 –Dick McAuliffe, 76, three-time All-Star middle-infielder and third baseman who played 14 seasons for the Detroit Tigers and was a significant contributor to take them to the1968 World Series championship.
May 14 –Ron Henry, 79, a 15-year career Minor League catcher who also played parts of two seasons for the Minnesota Twins in the early 1960s, before becoming a fixture as a jazz crooner performing at Denver nightclubs during 35 years.
May 15 –Ken Ramos, 48, stand-out outfielder that reached the majors briefly in 1997 with the Houston Astros but was more renowned for his lengthy and productive minor league career.
May 19 –Jim Ray Hart, 74, All-Star and slugging third baseman who was a staple of the San Francisco Giants infield in the 1960s and early 70s.
May 26 –Lou Grasmick, 91, pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1948, who later became a successful lumber company executive and renowned philanthropist.
May 27 –Louise Erickson, 86, AAGPBL pitcher from 1948 through 1950, who was a member of two champion teams and landed on the All-Star team two times.
June 2 –Donny Everett, 19, Milwaukee Brewers pitching prospect drafted out of Vanderbilt University in 2015, who died in a drowning accident at a lake in Tennessee.
June 2 –Lee Pfund, 96, pitcher for the1945 Brooklyn Dodgers, who at the time of his death was the 10th oldest living former major league player.
June 6 –Jimmy Williams, 90, Canadian outfielder, coach and manager during a 34-season Minor League career, who also coached in the Major Leagues with the 1975 Houston Astros and for the Baltimore Orioles from 1981 to 1987, a run that included their historic1983 World Series win.
June 7 –Rubén Quevedo, 37, Venezuelan starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers during four seasons spanning 2000–2003.
June 11 –Chico Fernández, 84, Cuban shortstop regarded as the first regular starting Latino player both for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1957 and the Detroit Tigers in 1960, who also had stints with the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Mets, in a nine-season Major League career that spanned from 1956 to 1965.
June 17 –Phil Hennigan, 70, relief pitcher for the Cleveland Indians and New York Mets between 1969 and 1973.
June 18 –Joe Schaffernoth, 78, pitcher who played for the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians in part of three seasons from 1959 to 1961.
June 25 –Jim Hickman, 79, All-Star outfielder and an original member of theNew York Mets in 1962, who also had stints with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, whose RBI-single led toPete Rose crashing into catcherRay Fosse at the plate with the game-winning run in the1970 MLB All-Star Game.
July 7 –Tom Marr, 73, radio play-by-play broadcaster for the Baltimore Orioles from 1979 to 1986.
July 8 –Hal Hudson, 89, relief pitcher for the St. Louis Browns and Chicago White Sox between the 1952 and 1953 seasons.
July 8 –Turk Lown, 92, pitcher notable for his bullpen role with the Chicago White Sox (1958–1962); led the American League with 15 saves and 37 games finished in 1959, helping the ChiSox clinch the AL pennant forthe first time in 40 years; earlier in his career, a member of the Chicago Cubs (1951–1954, 1956–1958) and Cincinnati Redlegs (1958).
July 9 –Bill Guilfoile, 84, Baseball Hall of Fame public relations director from 1979 through 1996; previously held similar assignments with New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates.
July 14 –Mike Strahler, 69, pitcher who played from 1970 through 1973 for Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers.
July 16 –Arlene Buszka, 82, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player.
July 16 –Gordon Massa, 80, backup catcher who appeared in eight games for the Chicago Cubs in the 1957 and 1958 seasons.
July 24 –Steve Nagy, 97, pitcher in part of two seasons spanning 1947–1950, who at the time of his death was the seventh oldest living MLB player, as well as the oldest living member of theoriginal American League Washington Senators and the National League Pittsburgh Pirates.
July 27 –Doug Griffin, 69, Gold Glove second baseman who appeared in 614 games for the Boston Red Sox, whose career was cut short when he was knocked unconscious after being hit in the head by a pitch fromNolan Ryan in 1974.
July 30 –Alan Brice, 78, relief pitcher who appeared in three games for the Chicago White Sox inits 1961 season.
July 31 –José Arcia, 72, utility player who played from 1968 to 1970 for the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres.
August 8 –Mike Brumley, 78, backup catcher who played from 1964 through 1966 for the Washington Senators, and later coached and managed for a long time in the Minor Leagues.
August 15 –Choo-Choo Coleman, 80, a catcher on theexpansion 1962 New York Mets who spent four seasons spanning 1961–1966 in the Major Leagues including a brief stint with the Philadelphia Phillies.
August 17 –Steve Arlin, 70, pitcher who played six years in the majors from 1969 to 1974, almost all of them for the San Diego Padres, before his career ended after a brief stint with the Cleveland Indians in his last season.
August 22 –Charlie Sands, 68, backup catcher who played for the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels and Oakland Athletics in part of six seasons from 1967 to 1975.
August 23 –Bryan Clutterbuck, 56, a three-sport standout athlete atEastern Michigan University, who later pitched in two different seasons for the Milwaukee Brewers, and also played in their Minor League system during nine years from 1981 to 1989.
August 24 –Juan Bell, 48, Dominican Republic middle infielder who played for the Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers, Montreal Expos and Boston Red Sox, in a span of seven seasons from 1989 to 1995.
August 24 –Neil Berry, 94, middle infielder who played from 1948 through 1954 with the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles.
August 25 –Paul Dade, 64, a first-round pick in the 1970 MLB Draft who played at outfield for the California Angels, Cleveland Indians and San Diego Padres from 1975 to 1980, and also won a batting title in the Pacific League with a .363 average in 1976 and played in Japan with the Hanshin Tigers in 1981.
August 26 –Joe DeMaestri, 87, slick-fielding shortstop who played for the Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Browns, Philadelphia and Kansas City Athletics, and New York Yankees from 1951 to 1961, and was also a member both of the American League All-Star team in 1957 and the 1961 World Champion Yankees.
August 26 –Steve Korcheck, 84, part-time catcher for the Washington Senators in part of four seasons spanning 1954–1959.
September 9 –Carl Miles, 98, pitcher for the1940 Philadelphia Athletics, who at the time of his death was the second oldest living big leaguer and the oldest living Athletics ballplayer.
September 14 –Dick Adams, 96, first baseman who played briefly for the Philadelphia Athletics intheir 1947 season.
September 25 –José Fernández, 24, Cuban-American pitcher for the Miami Marlins, two-time All-Star and 2013 NL Rookie of the Year, who died from injuries sustained in a boating accident in Miami Beach.
September 28 –Wanita Dokish, 80, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player.
September 30 –Jim Zapp, 92, African-American outfielder who played in the Negro leagues and Minor League Baseball from 1945 to 1955, spending the most part of his career with the NLBaltimore Elite Giants and theParis Lakers of the integratedMississippi–Ohio Valley League, where he hit .330 during the 1952 season, while leading all hitters with 20 home runs and 136 runs batted in and setting a league's record for the most RBI in a single-season, which still stands intact today.
October 4 –Gair Allie, 84, middle infielder and third baseman who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates inits 1954 season.
October 4 –Doug Slaten, 36, relief pitcher who played from 2006 through 2012 for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates.
October 19 –Joe Kirrene, 85, third baseman who did two brief stints with the Chicago White Sox in the 1950 and 1954 seasons.
October 19 –Pat Scott, 87, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League pitcher in parts of four seasons spanning 1948–1953.
October 25 –Filomeno Codiñera, 77, Filipino ballplayer who represented both the men's national softball and baseball teams of the Philippines.
October 26 –Mark Johnson, 65, umpire who worked in the American League from 1979 to 1999, while working in the 1993 World Series as well as the All-Star Game in 1990 and 1999.
November 1 –John Orsino, 78, catcher who played from 1961 through 1967 for the San Francisco Giants, Baltimore Orioles and Washington Senators.
November 2 –Vern Handrahan, 79, Canadian pitcher for the Kansas City Athletics in parts of two seasons spanning 1964–1966.
November 2 –Dolores Klosowski, 93, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League infielder who played for the Milwaukee Chicks and South Bend Blue Sox from 1944 to 1945.
November 4 –Eddie Carnett, 100, left fielder for the Boston Braves, Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians in a span of three seasons from 1941 to 1945 who, at the time of his death, was the oldest living former major league player.
November 8 –Marlan Coughtry, 82, backup infielder for the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels and Kansas City Athletics in part of two seasons from 1960 to 1962.
November 8 –Russ Nixon, 81, catcher who played with the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins in a span of 12 seasons from 1957 to 1968, and later managed the Cincinnati Reds in 1982 and 1983 and the Atlanta Braves from 1988 through 1990.
November 13 –Randy Veres, 50, relief pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals in a span of 6 seasons from 1989 to 1997.
November 15 –Bob Addis, 91, backup outfielder for the Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates in 208 games from 1950 to 1953, who later worked as a baseball coach and athletic director atEuclid High School inOhio, leading the team to astate championship in 1963.
November 23 –Ralph Branca, 90, three-time All-Star pitcher who played 12 seasons in the majors, mostly with the Brooklyn Dodgers, also known as the man who gave up a pitch hit for a home run byBobby Thomson thatwon the 1951 National League pennant for the New York Giants.
November 26 –Bill Endicott, 98, left fielder who appeared in 20 games for the St. Louis Cardinals intheir 1946 World Championship season, as well as the oldest living former member of the Cardinals at the time of his death.
December 19 –Phil Gagliano, 74, backup infielder/outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs from 1963 to 1974, as well as a member of St. Louis teams that won World Series titles in1964 and1967.
December 23 –Jim Lehew, 79, relief pitcher who played from 1961 to 1962 for the Baltimore Orioles.
December 24 –John Barfield, 52, middle relief pitcher for the Texas Rangers during three seasons from 1989 to 1991.
^Detroit Tigers 9, Minnesota Twins 2. Game played on Thursday, September 22, 2016 (D) at Target Field.ESPN Box Score and Recap. Retrieved on November 6, 2016.
^New York Mets 2, San Diego Padres 1. Game Played on Wednesday, April 22, 1970 (D) at Shea Stadium.Retrosheet box score. Retrieved on September 26, 2016.
